Chanie Wenjack was a 12-year-old Indigenous boy who died of exposure in 1966 after running away from the Cecilia Jeffrey residential school near Kenora, Ontario where he was a student. He had followed two friends to his uncle's cabin but was not brought along and set out alone in hopes of finding his father. Wenjack survived for 36 hours but faced harsh weather conditions with only light clothing and no food before his body was discovered. His death sparked national attention about the treatment of Indigenous children in residential schools and was the subject of the first inquest into conditions at such schools.
Chanie Wenjack was a 12-year-old Indigenous boy who died of exposure in 1966 after running away from the Cecilia Jeffrey residential school near Kenora, Ontario where he was a student. He had followed two friends to his uncle's cabin but was not brought along and set out alone in hopes of finding his father. Wenjack survived for 36 hours but faced harsh weather conditions with only light clothing and no food before his body was discovered. His death sparked national attention about the treatment of Indigenous children in residential schools and was the subject of the first inquest into conditions at such schools.
Chanie Wenjack was a 12-year-old Indigenous boy who died of exposure in 1966 after running away from the Cecilia Jeffrey residential school near Kenora, Ontario where he was a student. He had followed two friends to his uncle's cabin but was not brought along and set out alone in hopes of finding his father. Wenjack survived for 36 hours but faced harsh weather conditions with only light clothing and no food before his body was discovered. His death sparked national attention about the treatment of Indigenous children in residential schools and was the subject of the first inquest into conditions at such schools.
Chanie Wenjack was a 12-year-old Indigenous boy who died of exposure in 1966 after running away from the Cecilia Jeffrey residential school near Kenora, Ontario where he was a student. He had followed two friends to his uncle's cabin but was not brought along and set out alone in hopes of finding his father. Wenjack survived for 36 hours but faced harsh weather conditions with only light clothing and no food before his body was discovered. His death sparked national attention about the treatment of Indigenous children in residential schools and was the subject of the first inquest into conditions at such schools.
1954-1966 Chanie Wenjack Chanie Charlie Wenjack (born 19 January 1954; died 23 October 1966 near Redditt, ON). Chanie Wenjack, an Anishinaabe boy from Ontario, ran away from his residential school near Kenora at age 12, and subsequently died from hunger and exposure to the harsh weather. His death in 1966 sparked national attention and the first inquest into the treatment of Indigenous children in Canadian residential schools. Early Life Wenjack grew up at Ogoki Post, on the Marten Falls Reserve, with his parents, sisters and two dogs. Ogoki Post did not have a day school. At age nine, Wenjack and three of his sisters were sent to Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School, more than 600 km away, where he was given the name Charlie. Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School Located near Kenora, Ontario, the Cecilia Jeffrey School was run by the Womens Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and paid for by the federal government. During the 1960s, 150 students lived at Cecilia Jeffrey and attended classes at schools in Kenora At Cecilia Jeffrey Wenjack started residential school at Cecilia Jeffrey when he was nine years old and was placed in grade one. After two years, he was put in remedial classes with special instruction in English and arithmetic.
The principal of the Kenora school
remembered Wenjack as a boy with a good sense of humour, particularly adept at noticing wordplay. However, he died before learning how to read English. Escape On 16 October 1966, Wenjack and two of his friends escaped from school during their afternoon time on the playground. They were wearing only light cotton clothes.
Children often ran away from the schools. At
Cecilia Jeffrey the principal used strapping as punishment for students who ran away. The same day, nine other children also escaped from Cecilia Jeffrey. Running away was dangerous; children could lose limbs to frostbite or accident. Many, like Wenjack, died. Escape Children ran away from residential schools for many reasons. Wenjack told his friends that he wanted to see his father.
We believe that Wenjack had run away
because he was lonely.
Wenjacks sister, Pearl, believes that he
may have run away because he was sexually assaulted. Many students were sexually and physically abused at residential schools. Journey In his escape, Wenjack followed his two friends to the cabin of their uncle. On the first day of their escape, they walked for over eight hours. After they arrived at the cabin, Kelly took his nephews, but not Chanie. Chanie set out alone to find his father.
Wenjack carried only a glass jar with a few matches. Wenjack survived for the next 36 hours.
The weather turned harsh, with snow squalls and freezing rain. The temperature went down to -7C. With only a cotton windbreaker and no food, Wenjack covered 19 km on foot. When he was found, his body was bruised from repeated falls. Death Wenjack died in the early morning of 23 October 1966, one week after he escaped from Cecilia Jeffrey School. He died of exposure and hunger. A Canadian National Railways engineer passing on a freight train discovered his body beside the track. Wenjack was over 60 km from the Cecilia Jeffrey School. Aftermath According to an investigation, Chanies mother requested that his body be returned home, and was denied several times before it was sent. Furthermore, Wenjacks father did not know that his son had died. When the police and the school could not contact him the first time, they stopped trying. Inquest An investigation into Wenjacks death concluded that:
The Indian education system causes tremendous emotional and adjustment
problems for these children.
It was recommended that:
a study be made of the present Indian education and philosophy. Is it right?
This made people question the residential schools.
Wenjacks story was published in Maclean in 1967, The Lonely Death of Charlie Wenjack,. The Secret Path-Gord Downie In October 2016, Tragically Hip singer Gord Downie released The Secret Path, a an album and graphic novel, based on Wenjacks story.
Proceeds from the project will be
donated to The Gord Downie Secret Path Fund for Truth and Reconciliation. Finally Wenjacks story, as well as the many similarly tragic stories of residential school students, led to eventual legislative reforms and class action lawsuits, including the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Heritage Minute Song: The Stranger by The Tragically Hip As we listen to the song take a moment to privately write down your own thoughts about the song. The Stranger - The Tragically Hip What are your ideas and feelings about the song?
What does the song mean? How
do you think Chanie felt leading up to his decision to run away?
Brainstorm the planning involved
in running away what factors would Chanie have had to consider? Source: Carley, Georgia. "Chanie Wenjack." Historica Canada, 21 Mar. 2016, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/charlie-wenjack/. Accessed 27 Sept. 2017.
Walden In Plain and Simple English (Includes Study Guide, Complete Unabridged Book, Historical Context, Biography, and Character Index): Plain and Simple English, #67
Walden In Plain and Simple English (Includes Study Guide, Complete Unabridged Book, Historical Context, Biography, and Character Index): Plain and Simple English, #67
